Community stalwart and long-time Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team president Mr Bob Uttley has been awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List

Published:12:51Monday 19 June 2017Updated:11:41Tuesday 20 June 2017

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Long serving president of Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team, Mr Robert - Bob - Uttley has been awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Mr Uttley, of Todmorden, has been made the award for services to the community in Calder Valley and Todmorden.

Bob, who is a retired chartered accountant and financial director, has been a stalwart supporter for the local community for many years with strong connections to various organistions in Todmorden including Todmorden Choral Society, St Mary’s Church Choir and walking groups and is a keen Walsden and Todmorden cricket follower.

He was also the captain at Todmorden Golf club in 1973, club president in the early 1990s and ground officer between 1974-1987.

His connection with Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team was borne out of tragedy when his son Robert was sadly killed whilst climbing Annapurna III in the Himalayas during a whiteout in 1983. Robert had been a member of CVSRT for a number of years.

In 1994, Bob was made honorary president and is only the second president since the team’s formation in 1966, Miss Phyllis Oakley being the first.

During his tenure with the search team, Bob was instrumental in fundraising £100,000 to help build our current base, The Rescue Post in Mytholmroyd.

A spokesman for CVRST said: “CVSRT are extremely pleased for Bob and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate. He truly is a fine gentleman and we sincerely thank him for all his years of support for the team.”